Image: Medical News Today
Sugar and red meat are extremely popular amongst the youth and surprisingly, now researchers are blaming these two staples for the rise in colon cancer in people under 50.
A study published by the researchers at Cleveland Clinic found that young people have lower levels of citrates, a compound which is formed when our body converts food into energy. Citrates are known to inhibit tumour growth and their lower levels can promote colorectal cancer.
According to a study, by 2030, the number of people dying from colon cancer are expected to double in people under 40.
A gastrointestinal oncologist, Dr Suneel Kamath said, ‘The way we use our carbohydrates to make our energy; the way we use proteins and amino acids from our diet and other exposures, it was really a very strong relationship with cancer incidence.’
He further said, ‘It’s really something that’s not been described before in colorectal cancer at all.’ He added, ‘Additionally, we know that obesity is a big risk factor for developing any cancer, including colorectal cancer. So, we think that the findings we showed with carbohydrate and energy metabolism probably relate to that to some degree as well.‘
A study suggests that colon cancer will affect 90% young people between the gaes 20-30. While the US has the highest number of colon cancer patients which is 12.4 per 100,000 people, other countries where this disease is increasing include Australia, Norway, Korea and UK.
